Have I been dupped?

Namaste Mama

Songster
11 Years
Sep 18, 2008
195
4
121
AZ
I bought three hens last week, a Bard Rock, a Chochin, and achicken that has a big fluff of a feather afro on her head(not sure what kind she is), Since getting these girls home, not a single one has layed. We were told they were a year old and they were all layers. We feed them layering mash, with the occasional treat like water mellon. They free range during they day and are put in the coop at night. Any help would be appriciated.
 
no, it could take them a bit to get relaxed in their new place.
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Chickens aren't going to lay on command, and just because someone says they are laying age doesn't mean they are laying at this time. They could be just coming off a molt, they could be preparing to become broody or just getting off being broody, and they could have simply stopped because it was the summer and the heat has made them take a vacation. Give them a few weeks before you make any conclusions. There are WAYYY to may explanations for them to not be laying at this particular moment....
 
Not only do they need to relax and feel secure before they begin to lay, but did you keep them in their coop enough to know where to go to lay an egg? If you are free ranging them, perhaps you should go out and look beneath items in your yard, trees, etc.
I moved 1 hen this spring and she never missed a beat. 1 egg every day, but some can take as much as 3 weeks before they are relaxed.
Believe it or not, my hens, I have to keep them in their pen until 10 am (I do have that luxury) then allow them to go out free range after that, then I know routine was right for them.
Good luck, but you did not get dupped (at this point in time anyways)
 
Thanks for the help. I am pretty sure they haven't layed because I checked around where they have been hanging out and nothing. They haven't strayed too far from the coop area. At their old home they nested in old milk crates so I got them milk crates for nesting so it would be like their old home. I think you all may be right they probably need to adjust to the new home.
 
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I got four hens exactly four weeks ago and over the four weeks we've only gotten about a dozen eggs. The most we've ever had in one day was two eggs. The woman I got them from swore up and down they were born in the spring of 2007 and her best layers. They are brown leghorns that lay white eggs.

I'm frustrated, but our situation (they had about 60 hens) and our chicken housing is much different than they were used to, it's a new rooster, and we had a bout of unseasonably cold weather when they got here.

I'm just hoping to get them through the winter and hope they lay next spring. I can't imagine having to make them into chicken soup...but the reason I wanted chickens is for the eggs so if they still don't lay next spring then I'll find somebody to "take care of them" and I'll start over from scratch with chicks.

Good luck! I hope they start laying for you soon!
 
Namaste, you could read through all my posts to know my struggle with the same thing. We brought ours home on 8/22 and to date nothing has been consistent. I KNOW they are happy, but they are still getting to know us, and we have 3 that are laying (6 hens 1 roo) but never on the same day. Sometimes it's 1 egg, sometimes 2 and sometimes none. They are still getting to know their home. Give your girls time.
 
my girls laid in a little nook in the yard that they where never in when I was looking.

Look under shrubs, trees weeds or flowers every place.

My girls free range a half an acre and it took me a month to find the nest (shallow hole) where they laid. I started keeping them in the run until they all laid during the AM. and it took a month until they would all lay in the same place. they like under the box go figure?

it's funny how confinement will make there minds right real quick.

good luck.

I'm getting two new girls this weekend so I might be going through this all over again.

A-
 
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